Samantha
I closed the door after saying goodbye to Theon, placing the shopping bags on the floor and leaning my forehead against the wood before taking a deep breath.
What was that all about? Have I gone insane!? This morning I told Harper not to worry about me because I wouldn't interfere in her relationship, and a few hours later I kissed her boyfriend!?
What is your problem, Samantha?
Of course the kiss wouldn't have happened if he hadn't wanted it to, but it was like he said. Just the heat of the moment. Yes, I need to get it out of my mind, it is not right, I cannot allow my heart to go that way.
But that kiss was so good. What does that mean?
" It means that the guy has a good kiss," I said to myself out loud, leaning away from the door and walking to the kitchen after picking up the bags from the floor, "you knew that all along, Samantha, you kissed him dozens of times!”
Yes, and that wasn't the only thing he did well, that I know for sure. Harper is a lucky woman.
" That is if she doesn't count on some crazy woman attacking her boyfriend," I groaned again in disgust, "and I can call myself crazy since I'm talking to myself!”
The sound of a notification on my cell phone interrupted my reverie, I unlocked the device, finding a message from Charlie.
"You're up early, how are things?"
"I did the biggest mistake of my life"
I replied almost immediately, stopping to think afterwards. Okay, maybe getting pregnant by a stranger wins on that score.
"The second biggest mistake.”
I corrected. Soon, a video call request appeared on the screen. I accepted it watching the worried expression on Charlie's face, which materialized there.
" What happened? " she asked.
" I kissed Theon," I admitted, feeling guilty.
Charlie frowned, confused by my revelation.
" So the biggest mistake of your life was kissing the father of your son? " she insinuated, "Aren't you guys kind of past that now?
I rolled my eyes, realizing that she didn't understand the big problem with the situation.
" Charlie, he has a girlfriend, that's different! " I exclaimed.
" When you say that you kissed him, how did that happen? " she plopped herself down on the couch where she was sprawled.
I took a deep breath, collecting the story in my mind, trying not to forget any details.
" He got me a job teaching ballet at a school here," I began.
" Really? That's amazing," she celebrated.
" Yes, yes... So, we were in the studio, and I bumped into him," I began, "so to keep me from falling on the floor like a fat, staggering panda, he held me up. And we were so close, I couldn't resist!”
" And how did he react?”
" He responded " I groaned " at least until he came to his senses. Then he pulled away, and it got awkward between us. I tried to apologize, but he assured me that it was the heat of the moment.”
" It doesn't sound so bad. “
" Yeah, but it's complicated," I groaned, "I met his girlfriend today, told her she didn't have to worry about me, and hours later I kissed him.”
" Ohh…”
" And it gets worse, she found us right after and asked to talk to him," I blurted out, "it seems that they still hadn't resolved anything about our situation, and what their relationship would be like.”
I started pacing back and forth in the kitchen, not knowing what else I could do or say to make myself feel better.
" But why did you do this? " she asked in a calm tone, "Are you feeling something for him, or…”
" NO! " I raised my voice " it's not that, but... I don't know, I feel lonely, and he has treated me so well, he takes care of me in every way. And he's so handsome and kind.”
" Well, that sounds like neediness to me," she shrugged, "if you're sure you don't feel anything.”
" I don't," I stated with conviction, "but I have to take care of it, I can't attack men all over town because they are handsome and kind.”
That statement elicited a spontaneous laugh from Charlie.
" Well, I'm sure this was a one-time thing, but maybe it would be good for you to meet someone," she suggested.
" And how do I do this? I'm pregnant," I muttered, "I doubt any guy would want to get involved, and I'm not in the mood to venture out with strangers myself.”
" Look, I'm sure you'll work it out," she assured him, "just don't try to think about the situation with Theon too much. It's already happened, and you've already agreed that it was the heat of the moment, so don't beat yourself up too much.”
" Okay," I sighed, feeling a little relieved to be able to talk to her.
" Now I want you to tell me all about the town, your trip, and your new job.”
Finally, I spent almost an hour filling Charlie in on all the events since I had left Vegas, without hiding my first contact with Theon's family, causing her to spare no words to describe Calliope and all her behavior. When I closed the call, I could say that the kissing episode was almost forgotten, I felt better and it didn't seem to have such a big dimension anymore.
I went back to organizing things in the house. Theon said he would help me, but I can't wait for him. I'm alone in this, no matter how much he says I'm not. I spent a few minutes putting away the few kitchen utensils I had in one of the cupboards. I would need to buy more than groceries for my new home.
The sound of the doorbell interrupted me as I was putting away the vegetables in the refrigerator. I frowned and walked over, hearing some voices whispering outside.
Who could it be? I don't know anyone besides Theon, Calliope, and Harper, and I hope it isn't any of them.
I opened the door facing a boy, who looked about ten years old, and a frowning old woman. The boy was carrying a satchel that looked heavy, and the old woman kept looking at me, making me uncomfortable.
" May I help you?”
She murmured something in Greek to the boy, who nodded in understanding and changed hands before speaking up.
" Are you Samantha? " he asked.
" Yes, may I help you? " I repeated, but the boy contented himself with mumbling a few words to the lady.
Just when I thought the situation couldn't get any worse, the old woman simply made her way through, and entered my house, while saying something to the young boy.
" Hey, wait! " I exclaimed, "What's this?
" She said that if it was up to her grandson, she'd never meet you," he explained, dragging the bag into the kitchen while the woman, who was quite agile for a lady with a cane, observed everything around her.
Although I had an idea who she was talking about, I thought it best to check before allowing that woman to get so comfortable. I ran, and managed to get in her way, stopping her advance.
" Who are you and why are you in my house? " I gasped.
" I'm Nick, she's Delphine Loukas," he explained.
The old woman murmured something to the boy, who sighed before answering in the same language. She pointed to the kitchen and he dragged himself into it.
" All right, Nick. Why are you here? " I rolled my eyes, following him as he lifted the bag and set it on the table with some difficulty.
The old woman watched my kitchen carefully and then went to the countertop, inspecting what I had not yet put away.
" Hey, I don't care if you are Theon's grandmother or not. Either you tell me what you're doing in my house, or I'll use the broom to get you out of here.I wedged myself between the old woman and the countertop, maintaining a superior position before looking at the boy " Translate what I said to her, please."
" I can understand you, girl," she rolled her eyes, "and I would very much like to see you try to get me out of here.
" If you can understand me, why were you using the boy as a translator until now? " I raised my voice, unable to understand what this woman was all about.
" I hadn't decided yet whether or not I wanted to talk to you," she explained naturally.
" You came to my house!”
" Because I need to meet the mother of my great grandson.”
" Great, my son's great grandmother is crazy," I muttered, walking away.
The young man said something to Delphine, and she responded in the same tone. He said goodbye and left, leaving me there in the company of the old woman.
" What is this? " I pointed to the bag, deciding to try to break the ice with her.
She reached into the bag, pulling out a few jars. I approached her, frowning.
" With all this mess you couldn't cook. I heard that Theon ordered your dinner yesterday," she explained, "but you need to eat nutritious food.”
" So you came here to bring me food? " I wondered about that.
" I came here to bring food for my great grandson," she corrected me.
I took a deep breath and decided not to argue. This matter would only serve to sap my energy, and I was determined not to wear myself out with someone who must be close to a hundred years old. At least I would have something to eat, and I was starving.
" Where's the plate? " she asked impatiently.
I went over to the cupboard to get a plate and understood the old woman. She put some kind of fish on it before surrounding it with various vegetables.
" I don't eat that," I pointed to the eggplants on the plate.
" Are you allergic? " she put the plate on the table, motioning for me to eat.
" No, I just…”
" Does it make you sick?
" No.”
" Then I don't mind. I came to feed the baby, not you," she said, "eat.”
" And why should I obey you?”
" Because I know what it takes to produce a healthy child," she retorted.
I had no way to debate after that. I could eat some eggplant, if it was for the sake of my child, and that woman seemed to have lived long enough to know what she was talking about.
She sat down with me at the table and for a few minutes we sat in silence while she watched me eat.
" So you lived in Vegas," she began, appraising me.
I stopped eating, recognizing that look. It was the same look I had seen on Caliope during our "conversation.”
" Yes, I lived in Vegas.”
I narrowed my eyes in her direction, and she continued her analytical gaze, annoying me.
" So you think I got pregnant because I live in Vegas," I decided to put her thoughts out there.
" What?”
" Of course I would get pregnant living in Vegas, wouldn't I? " I rolled my eyes.
" Girl, if living in Vegas was a prerequisite for getting pregnant, I wouldn't have gotten married pregnant, in Pilos, Greece," she replied as if I were being the silliest girl in the universe.
I blinked in astonishment at that answer. It wasn't what I was expecting.
" You don't mind that I lived in Vegas? " I decided to confirm.
" If I didn't care that you were a stripper, why should I care that you lived in Vegas?”
I widened my eyes.
What is this stripper story?
" Are you out of your mind? I'm not a stripper! " I raised my voice.
" Really?”
" Theon said I was a stripper? " I lowered my voice to almost a whisper.
Is that what he thinks of me? To him being a ShowGirl is the same thing as being a stripper? In the end, am I just the stripper he knocked up?
" No, he didn't say. But I wanted to see your reaction," she shrugged, drawing my attention once again.
What's wrong with this woman?
" Go back to eating," she indicated, getting up, "I have to go, but I'll be back tomorrow. I want to know more about your life.”
" Great, I can't wait," I muttered without any enthusiasm.
I walked her to the door, thinking how strange this brief visit had been.